Proposal to
Rehabilitate the
Village Hall of
Waverly, NY
Presented by the Village Hall Committee
Mary Schmieg
Don Merrill, Village Historian
Bob Hoppe
Grady Updyke, Chief of Police
Joe Viselli
Leon Thomas, Former Mayor
Craig Maury
Todd Williams, Trustee and Chairman
Distinguished Guests
• Lori Moore, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation
and Historic Preservation
• Tania Werbizky, Preservation League of New York
• Doug Barton, Tioga County Economic Development
• Teresa Saraceno, Empire Zone Coordinator
• Thomas O’Mara, State Assemblyman
• Letters of support
– Randy Crawford, Crawford and Stearns
– Jane De Hawkhurst, Preservation Association of the Southern
Tier
History of the Building
• Constructed in 1892
• Designed by Pierce
and Bickford,
Architects of Elmira
• Home of the Fire
Department (until
1997)
• Only home of Court
and Police
Department
History of maintenance to the
building
• 1921 – last comprehensive renovation
• 1960’s Truck Bay reinforced with concrete
• 1980’s - selective repointing of bricks
using incompatible mortar
• 1990’s – Tom Mullen’s mayorship – storm
windows installed
• 2005 – Roof replaced
History of work by
Village Hall Committee
• Formed in early 2003 By Mayor Martin
although work began earlier
• Chaired by Trustee Barb Rockett until her
death in 2007
• Early 2003 - Achieved the honor of being
listed on the National Register of Historic
Places
History of work by
Village Hall Committee
• Worked to conduct the studies necessary to determine
that the building is mechanically and structurally sound
and worth rehabilitating
– 2000 Building Study for Waverly Village Hall Renovation - Delta
Engineering
– 2001 Conceptual Rehabilitation and Reuse Plan – Crawford and
Stearns
– 2004 Existing Building Observation – Hunt Engineers
– 2005 Historic Waverly Village Hall Reuse Plan – Crawford and
Stearns
– 2006 Limited Assessment of Mechanical and Plumbing - Taitem
Engineers
– 2006 Asbestos Inspection
– 2007 Structural Assessment by Hunt Engineers
– 2008 Financial Feasibility Study by Murray Gould, Port City
Preservation
History of work by
Village Hall Committee
• Worked to acquire grants
– 2003 State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) through Office of
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for $32,500 for Roof –
completed in 2005
– 2004 EPF grant for $150,000 for exterior work to brick, façade,
windows, – zero money spent after 3 years
– 2007 EPF grant for $246,000 denied – scored 65, winning grants
received scores of 70, 71, and 73
– 2008 EPF grant for $200,000 for replacement of furnace and windows –
awaiting announcement from OPRHP
– 2008 Save America’s Treasures – Federal grant for $200,000 through
Maurice Hinchey’s office for electrical work – awaiting announcement
– 2008 Lowes’ Foundation Grant for $25,000 – denied because of
municipality status
• Note on Grant Covenant – Because we have accepted and used
state grant funds, we are under obligation to own, maintain and
operate the building for 20 years. Failure to do this will result in the
Village’s repayment of state funds.
Current Situation
• New York State is very interested in our project and are
supportive through grants and consultation
• Public and Private preservation groups are interested in
seeing the project move forward
• We have collaborated with Randy Crawford of Crawford
& Stearns, an eminent architect and preservation
planner known state-wide
• A considerable amount of money has been invested in
preparatory work
• Every structural and engineering study has determined
that the building is sound
Current Situation
• Every professional from outside Waverly who
has come to visit says, “You have a beautiful
downtown area that is architecturally significant.
You need to preserve this element.” or “You can
afford to renovate your Village Hall”
• Village Hall Committee is concerned that the
Board of Trustees has not acted on any
professional design proposals/costs or
recommendations from the Committee and
outside agencies despite acknowledgement that
they are good ideas
Murray Gould’s visit May 29th, 2008
• Validated that the numbers reported by the
Village Hall Committee are accurate
• “You run a very high risk of changing the
climate of downtown” by moving the
Village Hall
• “The Village owns the Village Hall and they
have a fiduciary obligation to care and
maintain this building as long as it is in
your control.”
Why Village Hall remains functional
•
•
•
•
New Roof in 2005
Durable Brick Construction
Open, adaptable floor plan
Combined with Annex there is more than
enough usable space (currently using about
60% of floor space)
• Stacked floors and small roof print is energy
efficient
• We already own it
• The Board of Trustees adopted a Downtown
Action Plan in 2005 that includes Village Hall
Village of Waverly Downtown
Action Plan
• George R. Frantz and Associates
• Unanimously adopted as Waverly’s Strategic
Plan on Oct 25, 2005
• Goal 1 – “Build on existing building stock and
entrepreneur base to increase economic activity
in downtown Waverly.”
• Goal 2 – “Preserve the historic architectural
resources of downtown Waverly.”
• Goal 3 – Attract new retail and service
customers to downtown Waverly by making it a
more attractive place to live and work.”
The first proposal – 2001
• Renovate only the first floor
• Trustees requested a plan and figures for
a full renovation
The full proposal - 2005
•
•
•
•
Crawford & Stearns
$2 million
A good floor plan
Price estimate includes a thorough
renovation of the entire building
• Police and Court staff have stated that the
plan is adequate and acceptable
• This is not an affordable plan for Waverly
at this time
The full proposal - 2005
• First
Floor
Drawing
– Large
Meeting
Room
– Police
Staff
The full proposal - 2005
• Second
Floor
Drawing
– Courtroom
and
associated
offices
– Police
Locker and
Break
Rooms
The full proposal - 2005
• Third Floor
Drawing
– Unallocated
space
– Possible file
storage
The full proposal - 2005
• Basement
Drawing
– Police
storage
– Mechanical,
Electrical
and
Elevator
The current proposal
• Do what we can afford to do with minimal
disruption to services
• Phase 1 – Critical Infrastructure and The Truck
Bay
– Install New Electric Service Panel and First Floor
Wiring
– Create large meeting room and handicap accessible
bathrooms out of Truck Bay
– Replace truck bay openings with faux carriage door
walls faithful to the original doors on the fire house
(50% match from NYS)
– Repoint brickwork on façade (50% match from NYS)
• 15-20% of exterior surface
The current proposal
• Truck Bay
The current proposal
• Illustrate progress and intention on a
public area of the building
• Create large, usable public space
• Free up office space in Annex for
temporary relocation of offices
• Increase security in Annex through
reduced through traffic
• Affordable
The current proposal
• Costs
– Phase 1 cost – less than $180,000
– Grant money available – $1 million
(estimated)
– Private Donations (room dedications, small
sums)
– In kind services (work of volunteers and
village employees)
• Some Phase 1 work has already been pledged
– Budgeting in a Capital Reserve Account
Grants Available
• Combination of REAP Zone, Empire Zone,
Historic Register make Village Hall a
selective candidate for many grants
– 2008 NYS SHPO EPF $200k - submitted
– 2008 Save America’s Treasures $200k submitted
– CDBG (Handicap Accessibility) $150k
– REAP $100k
– NYS Legislative Grant $150k
– Homeland Security $50k
Raising Taxes
• If the Village budgets $70,000 per year for the next 7
years specifically for renovation of the Village Hall the
work will be completed.
– This has been recommended to Mayor McDuffee by Trustee
Williams for both annual budgets that he has overseen
– Last year the annual budget was increased by $125,000 and
taxes increased 1.3%
• There is no need for a bond
• There is no lump sum
• If this process was initiated in 2001, when the village
recognized the need for action, the work would be
completed by now
• This is a realistic approach considering the economy of
Waverly and the nation
Looking forward for the next 30 years
Durability
• Village Hall has stood in its place for 100+ years
– Despite neglect in recent decades it is still in very
good shape
– Most criticisms of the building stem from neglect and
are not related to the building’s construction or
usefulness
– Last major renovation was in 1921
• Repointed bricks
• Upgraded electric
– Roof was replaced in 2005
Looking forward for the next 30 years
Parking
• Parking is available
– Aside from large meetings, there is always parking on
the block
• Any concerns over ample parking are village
wide and need to be addressed by the village
• Keeping or moving Village Hall will not affect the
availability of parking
• Having a parking problem is a good indicator
that economic development is possible in
downtown Waverly
– Trustee Williams has begun reaching out to local
experts for solutions
Looking forward for the next 30 years
Consolidation
• New York State is advocating that small
communities consolidate to reduce costs
• There will always be a municipal presence
in Waverly because we are a population
center
• We will not grow very much because
almost all of our land is developed
• Want to avoid overextending ourselves
Looking forward for the next 30 years
Shared Services - Court
• Court would be suitable and professionally
laid out to meet all current judicial
requirements
– Large floor space for judge, clerk, involved
parties, lawyers and general public
– Private judge chambers
– Private holding/interrogation room for minors
– Jail cell
Looking forward for the next 30 years
Shared Services - Police
• Police Department would likely still have a
presence downtown because we are the
population center of the town
– Holding cell
– Radio antennas in place
– Secure officer and chief offices
Looking forward for the next 30 years
Operating and Maintenance Costs
• The most important consideration
• Maintenance costs are low for brick buildings, it’s the
building costs that deter new brick construction
• High thermal mass of brick moderates the temperatures
inside
• Stacked floors and small roof print reduces heating
losses
• Brick is a durable, insulating, weatherproof material
• Village Hall does not need much, but it needs it badly
Conclusion
• This is an affordable project
– The real costs to taxpayers will be smaller than
previously, and often falsely, reported
– Village Hall Committee will continue to search out and
apply for every grant that would reduce the local cost
• This is a project that will reinvigorate pride in
Waverly and pull the community together
• The Village needs to illustrate their own
commitment in the Economic Redevelopment
of downtown
• An effective renovation of the Village Hall will
serve our needs for many, many years